Thank you to everyone who reviewed and especially to those who answered my questions! Cookies to all! lol. I guess I am doing something right :) Well here is the next chapter, not the reveal...but I promise chapter 12 will have it. Please keep reviewing, it makes me happy! Writing the reveal was harder than I thought it would be. I keep having to stop and work through things in my head before I continue to write it. But the next chapter will have it. Have fun with this one, let me know what you think!

DISCLAIMER: Don't own LWD

Derek and Casey both jumped, visibly startled. Nora looked at her heavily breathing daughter and then she eyed the mess on the floor from the overturned trunk. Nora's eyes widened and she looked at Lizzie. Lizzie looked from the trunk's contents to her mother to her sister. Edwin just looked at the trunk and Lizzie, confusion and concern evident in his face. He held Marti close to him, unsure of what was going on.

Nora walked towards Casey. Casey saw her mother coming close and flinched. Casey backed away and said one word, "Don't." Nora stopped and looked at her daughter, puzzlement etched upon her brow.

Casey put her hand up in a stop signal. She closed her eyes, shook her head and bit her lip. "Stop. Don't. Don't come and tell me that it will be ok. Don't tell me that I am allowed to be upset. I don't give a damn if I am allowed or not allowed. I am. You pretending to understand what I am feeling is not what I need. I don't need you to hold me and patronize me. You have obviously gotten over it and are happy with your new life. That's great. I'm happy for you, I am. But don't you dare try and tell me you are still grieving. That you miss him. That you miss the way we used to be, because you don't. You don't care anymore. You don't care that he's gone. You don't care that I'm broken. That I can't do this alone. I can't do this anymore. It hurts to breathe. Why did this have to happen?" Casey began to sob, really sob. She cried as if she could not stop, and honestly she couldn't. Casey fell to the floor. Nora and Lizzie both went to Casey; however, before they could gather her in their arms, Derek reached her. Derek pulled Casey to him, holding her while she sobbed. Nora put her arms around Casey and Lizzie laid her hands on Casey's legs. Casey grasped at Derek's shirt, grasping it in her hand as tears soaked it. Casey continued to sob and speak at the same time; it was becoming hard to understand her through the cries.

"I can't breathe mom, I can't. It hurts. It hurts so much. I keep trying and trying to be good in hopes that I will wake up and everything that has happened would be a dream. I can't cry mom; I can't. I can only cry on this day. Every other day of the year I can't. I'm so afraid that once I start I won't be able to stop. It feels like someone is plunging their hand in my chest and pulling out my heart. Why did he do it? Why did he go away? Why, mom? Please. Make it better. Fix it. I keep waiting for him to come home. I know he's gone. I know it, but I feel like a little girl just waiting for him to come home. To make it better. To make me not broken. Why, mommy? Why did it happen? Was it me? Was I not good enough? I tried, oh god, I tried. I still try. I keep telling myself if I get that A, if I do the best I can and if I'm perfect, he'll come home. Where is he? Why did he leave? I'm trying. I am. It just hurts so much, mom, it hurts. Make it stop. Why won't it stop hurting?"

Casey continued to cry and grasp onto Derek's shirt. She just sobbed and sobbed. Derek tightened his arms around the girl, afraid that she was going to hyperventilate. Nora stroked her daughter's back, wondering how her life got to be such a mess. Lizzie places her head in her mother's lap, never letting her hand stray from her older sister. During Casey's breakdown, George had picked up Marti and pulled Edwin close to his side.

"Daddy, why is Casey crying? Make her better. I don't want Casey to cry. Daddy, help her. Smerek's trying. He's giving her a hug, why is she crying? Smerek always makes me feel better." Marti whispered to George, burying her face in his neck. George took Marti and Edwin downstairs to try and distract them.

Casey continued to cry, oblivious to everyone and anything but the hurt she felt inside. Her breathing was ragged and fast as tears continued to run down her face and soak Derek's shirt. Eventually after what seemed like forever, in reality was about an hour and a half to two hours, she slowly quieted down and fell asleep from exhaustion. Derek felt her drift off, still in his arms. He nodded at Nora and Lizzie to stand up and step back. Derek shifted Casey around and picked her up. He looked at Nora who hurried to pull Casey's bedspread down. Derek gently laid Casey down and pulled the blanket over her. He brushed the remaining tears away from her flushed and hot face. Turning around, he followed Nora and Lizzie out to the hallway and down the stairs.

Marti was asleep on the couch; Edwin and George were standing at the bottom of the stairs. Nora and Lizzie led the Venturi men into the kitchen. Once they were all in the kitchen, Derek turned to Nora and Lizzie. His face was more determined and serious than they had ever seen; gone was the sparkling mischief that was always in his eyes and the smirk that always seemed to adorn his lips.

"I want to know what the hell is going on. And I want to know right now." Derek said firmly, his tone allowing no excuses.